Dustin LindenSmith

father | musician | writer

The venerable Lin Chi, a.k.a. Rinzai, died 867 CE

This excerpt reminds me of my "no-should" philosophy, the one in which I advocate doing away with the concept of should, with the idea that we "have to" become this, change that, improve ourselves, and the like. Whatever is happening, is happening for a reason. Just leave it alone and find your true, natural response to it and you'll be fine.

Lin Chi's teachings encourage people to have faith that their natural spontaneous functioning is the true Buddha-Mind. In this pure state of being, one does not obstruct, block, withhold, or repress anything. In this state of being, freedom from attachment does not mean to be without feeling, but rather it means: entering into all activities with your whole heart, not holding anything back, being at one with any situation. This is the enlightened way to live an ordinary life. When Lin Chi's students told him they were searching for deliverance from this world he would ask them: if they were delivered from the world, where could they go? He advised his student to live simply and wholeheartedly, without blind, enslaving desire:

When it's time to get dressed, put on your clothes. When you must walk, then walk. When you must sit, then sit. Just be your ordinary self in ordinary life, unconcerned in seeking for Buddhahood. When you're tired, lie down. The fool will laugh at you but the wise man will understand.